


the rest of your life

by Cathalinaheart



Category: Marvel 616
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Hallucinations, Iron Man: Worlds Most Wanted, Kidnapping, M/M, Memory Loss, Murder, Not A Fix-It, Post-Civil War (Marvel), Unhappy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:07:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21808672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cathalinaheart/pseuds/Cathalinaheart
Summary: Osborn caught Tony, but even though the database is already gone from his brain Osborn still has a use for him. If only a freshly returned Steve isn't too late with his rescue attempt...
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 9
Kudos: 23
Collections: You Gave Me A Stocking 2019





	the rest of your life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ironlawyer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ironlawyer/gifts).



"It really is a shame. Look what you've done to yourself. Such a waste.”

The voice is hard and cruel. It takes Tony a moment to remember the name of the man attached to it. Osborn. He remembers now that Osborn had been hunting him. But for what? A list maybe?

Tony tries to move, but he is strapped down on a bed, hooked up to several beeping machines. He gets the feeling he should know what they are for, but he doesn’t. Thinking about it is giving him a headache. Concentrating on anything is hard.

“Feel free to struggle as much as you want. There is no way out of this for you, Stark. You may have managed to delete the SHRA database from your brain, but you are currently killing yourself as a consequence. Our technicians are trying to restore your brain, but right now it’s not looking good."

Huh. That explained why thinking was so hard. At least he guessed it did. He was so confused, he probably should be scared, right? His fear was starting to build up, like the thought about it had broken down a wall. It flooded through him, making him freeze and want to fight to get free at the same time.

Osborn continued: "But don’t worry, you can still be useful. I have found the files you had locked away. Funny thing, I can still use your brain waves to unlock them, even if you’re nothing but a vegetable. So here’s the one promise I can make you.”

Tony swallowed while Osborn leaned in close, whispering in his ear. “I won’t let you die.”

The agonizing despair he felt at that must have shown on his face, because Osborn laughed when he withdrew.

“Enjoy the rest of your pathetic life.” Osborn said, before leaving the room.

Tony was left alone with the low hum and the constant beeping of the machines.

* * *

Tony dreamed.

A blond man was walking away from him, telling him a man must want to be helped. Tony’s silent screams were left unheard. Please, Tony begged, please help me. I don’t want to be here. But the man left him crying on the floor.

Alone.

The same man, again. He must have been important to him. He kept seeing him. If only he could remember why. If only he could remember his own name.

This time the man was walking next to him, his hands cuffed. Something was wrong with this picture and suddenly a loud noise, and blood. So much blood. Oh god, what was happening?

Screaming Tony fell down to his knees. Please don’t, not again, a silent mantra on his lips, even if he didn’t know why.

The world blurred and the room was cold. Room? Hadn’t he just been outside?

In front of him on a table was the body of the blond man. His uniform torn and soaked in blood. He had a shield covering his chest. A shield? Like Captain America? But Captain America was long dead. This world had no heroes. Right?

He reached out, stroked the man’s face. His death wasn’t right. It couldn’t be. Suddenly the man turned his head, his eyes snapping open. Staring into him cold and dead.

“Your fault, Tony,” the corpse breathed out.

And Tony was laying on the ground. Everything hurt. The world was on fire. He could feel one of his eyes swelling shut.

A man loomed over him. His shield raised. “Who are you?” he wanted to scream at him. “Why are you haunting me?”

He was so tired. He couldn’t do this anymore, he just wanted to sleep. Just get a bit of rest.

“Please” he breathed. “Finish it.”

And the shield came flying down at his head, but the nightmares didn’t end.

* * *

“Oh god, Tony can you hear me?” The voice was far away. Distant, but oh so familiar.

“You aren’t real” Tony croaked, his throat hoarse from his screams.

“No, I am, Tony, please. I know it must be hard to believe, but I’m back. It’s a long story, but I swear I’ll tell you when we're out of here.”

He couldn’t be awake. It was the blond man that wasn’t leaving him alone, just kept hurting him over and over and over again. He wondered what his pain would be like this time.

The man broke the shackles holding him on the bed, helped him get up.

Where was he? What was he doing here?

“Come, let’s get you out of here.” The man said.

Who was he?

His mind flashed with memories full of pain.

“No!” He screamed, backing away. “You never help!”

His back hit a table. Blindly he fumbled around until his fingers found a pair of sharp scissors.

“Shhh, it’s alright Tony. It’s just me. I swear I don’t want to hurt you”

But I don’t know who you are, he wanted to shout.

Instead he let himself fall forward into the man’s arms, hiding the scissors behind his back.

Warm hands enveloped him. For a second he felt safe in the embrace.

Then he remembered the feeling of his bones cracking, his heart breaking.

With as much force as he could muster, he jammed the scissors into the man’s throat.

With a wet sound he pulled them back out. Blood was everywhere. His vision a sea of red.

He felt the arms around him fall away, the blond man was looking at him, uncomprehendingly.

He tried to say something, but only gurgling came out.

His hands went to his throat, a desperate attempt to keep the blood in his body. Futile.

The man looked pale, a stark contrast to the blood.

Slowly, like he was falling through something much more viscous than air, he fell to the ground. 

Standing over the body Tony had one final moment of clarity.

“Steve?” he whispered.

Then he collapsed on top of the unmoving body.


End file.
